Page 32 of Toto’s Tormented Trio

Her brow furrows as she glances at me. “For what?”

I point between us. “You flinched when your arm brushed mine. I know my skin is cold.”

Toto smiles, showing no hint of the fear she should be feeling. "That’s good because I run warm."

"How are you doing?" She pauses, and her smile turns sheepish. "Forget I asked. It was a stupid question."

I consider her question anyway. The truth is, the transformation brought back some precious memories of my childhood: my mom making pancakes, roughhousing with my little sister Saturday mornings as we fought over the TV.

But it also brought back darker memories of Vera. Her voice murmuring spells I didn't understand. The sickening sensation of having her inside my head. And the confusion that always followed, when I couldn't quite remember what we'd been talking about or how much time had passed.

I remember Detective Pullier's words:

Screaming Woods would have given her access to a steady supply of victims. It would have been easy for her to hunt without anyone noticing a pattern.

I suspect Vera took people from Screaming Woods for years, using them for whatever twisted purpose kept her alive long past her natural lifespan. Maybe that's what she intended for us that night.

Except she didn't kill us. She took us to Oz instead and spent years making sure we couldn't remember enough to question why.

What I can't figure out is why she bothered keeping us alive in the first place.

"Do you wish you had never stopped here?" Toto asks.

I shake my head. "No. Drinking that punch may have saved our lives." I glance down at my hands before looking at her. "This is going to sound crazy, but for the first time in longer than I can remember, I feel like… me.” A humorless laugh escapes me. “Which is pretty ironic considering I’m a monster.”

"No, you're not, Nick." Toto shakes her head emphatically. "I mean, yes, you look like a monster, but you wouldn't hurt a fly."

I look away. If she had any idea how badly I want to sink my fangs into her neck right now, she might reconsider.

"Nick." Toto stops and steps in front of me, forcing me to look at her. "You aren't going to hurt me."

"You don't know that," I whisper.

I lift my eyes to hers, and she gasps.

Fuck.

If my eyes reflect even half of what I'm feeling right now, she’ll see how badly I want her. Every part of me aches for Toto. My teeth. My cock. Even the heart that apparently no longer beats.